Malvern police chief to step down in June

MALVERN — Borough Police Chief Mark Ercole announced he will return to the East Whiteland Police Department when his one-year contract expires in June.

“While I am proud of the improvements we have made to build a stronger foundation for the Malvern Police Department moving forward, I feel called to return to the East Whiteland community I served for more than 20 years to help address the new challenges they face in the coming years,” Ercole said in a press release.

Ercole, a lieutenant with the East Whiteland Police Department, was hired as Malvern chief last June, after Michael McMahon was released from post two months prior. Through a contract, East Whiteland agreed to provide an interim chief for at least a year, which brought Ercole to the position.

“I thank Mayor (Jerry) McGlone, Borough Council and the men and women of the Malvern Police Department for the opportunity they have given me over the past year,” Ercole said. “The people of Malvern are lucky to be served by such a committed and caring group of people.

“As a former resident, and soon former Chief of Police (of) Malvern Borough, the relationships I have built here will always hold a special place for me. I look forward to continuing to work with the next Chief of Police and with the fine officers of the Malvern Police Department to help them continue moving the department forward.”

Malvern’s police department consists of one chief, one sergeant, three patrol officers, additional part-time patrol officers and a secretary.

The borough, which has 2,998 residents and an overall budget of $2.7 million, has $953,739 budgeted for its police department in 2013.

Borough Manager Sandy Kelley said she believed council President Woody Van Sciver had contacted the East Whiteland Police Department following Ercole’s announcement to see if his replacement can be found there.

Last April, council held a public meeting to discuss the elimination of the borough’s police department and instead contract with a neighboring municipality for police services. Residents overwhelmingly voiced their displeasure with the idea, one that McGlone at the time said had been considered on four previous occasions since he became mayor in 2002.

In June of last year, council voted to fire McMahon, who has brought a federal lawsuit against the borough, saying his civil rights were violated. Both sides are due in court on Wednesday.